Sabbatical in the Seventh

A SABBATICAL IN THE SEVENTH YEAR

A new schedule. Time to explore other opportunities. A sabbatical of sorts... and what does that mean?  Different meanings over the ages see wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbatical
Modern times often working on projects to enhance portfolios. To try a lifelong dream...The word sabbatical has some meanings that possibly Liam interpreted in a unique way or a way suited to his life style. Home dog.

LATTE LICKS AND KONG BONE

Teachers often make the most of this time off...they write, travel, they read, they paint, they play music...they achieve a goal.

Liam has had his blogging time halved. And he got into the sabbatical with a passion. Exploring new positions, as well as directions. New perspectives. He feels his blogging will be enhanced.

Back in the biblical days it meant cease working the fields in the seventh year...a time of rest...of non-pursuit.
Liam may be embodying that commandment.

We are in our seventh year of writing LiamLicks

seventh year of retirement for me 

seventh year of Liam living in New Hyde Park.

SEVENTH YEAR

and in the seventh year Liam is enjoying a dream, sniffing the air...resting, watching the outdoor life. 

SABBATICAL BIRD DOG

 Woof, Woof

Revlon Run/Walk For Women

THIS YEAR'S HAT

We did it.
http://do.eifoundation.org/site/PageNavigator/2014_runwalk_splash.html
They close Times Square for this walk...only one other time does this happen...New Year's Eve.

                                                          And our team is almost 50 strong

AT THE START

We're Half Way There... Thanks Bon Jovi for that line and to Lori Phair, our Captain, for choosing it

The day before the race I received our shirts from our Captain tissued in a perfect pink bag, and a mail in donation from a dear artist friend enclosed in a card of her own design. The violets in rear represent another supporter.

A REVLON RUN/WALK STILL LIFE

OUR GEAR AND MEDAL

LIAM WEARING EIFRRW MEDAL

Thanks all for your help. See Lori's page http://do.eifoundation.org/site/TR/RevlonRunWalk/NYRRW?px=1053822&pg=personal&fr_id=1150

on Twitter that's a screenshot below thanks to my BFF for teaching me this trick, read bottom up

TWEETS ABOVE

CROSSING THE FINISH
the bibs, ribbons, shirts and all say

WALK

TO CHANGE THE LIVES OF THE

 WOMEN

WHO HAVE CHANGED YOURS

LIAM AGREES

Woof, Woof

Dog House or Dog In the House

THIS IS MY HOUSE

Used to be there were dog houses outside. I've seen pictures. I believe they have them in parts of the country as well as other countries.

Our dog has a house. Our house.

THE DOG HOUSE

And all parts of it.
The NYTimes article is so aligned with what we do here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/fashion/pets-dogs-training.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0

I never had a dog until I retired. During Liam's adoption process we were exhaustively questioned about where he would be residing. It did not occur to us to keep him outside but apparently North Shore knows folks do and wanted to make sure we understood that doing so was not acceptable for one of their rescues.

I AM NOT STAYING OUTSIDE

                                       Didn't Snoopy have a dog house? He seemed okay with it.

SNOOPY BLOGGING

There is an expression "you are in the dog house" meaning you are shut out. Off by yourself. Head down. Being scarce but hoping it will pass

FEELING IN THE DOG HOUSE MOOD

Now that might be a good thing. At least in our house it is good to be in the dog house.

SNL did a skit about dog food. Thing is it is exactly what happened here in September when I discovered our famous brand vet endorsed food might be chemically coated, altered or unsafe and full of grain. Here is the link to the skit. http://dailypicksandflicks.com/2014/04/13/snl-blue-river-dog-food-video/

I googled outside dog houses and many many companies sell them. However they do not look like the Snoopy house. They are HGTV worthy abodes and have decks and screened in porches. I might get one for myself. Check out these on Pinterest.
http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=dog%20house&rs=ac&len=3

We have evolved in our view of dog ownership and this article speaks to that
http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/can-dogs-live-outside-in-all-seasons.htm

Being in the dog house, not so bad, Woof, Woof

LIAM IN ONE OF THE DOG HOUSE CHAIRS

Breaking Good

FIRST TIME SITTING OUT IN 2014

Make a break for it.
Make or break.
Break-fast.
Breaking Bad
Break it up
Spring break!
That is the one we are looking for and welcoming. What is it?
Here is the wiki link,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_break

For Liam it means our dog walking boulevard abutting the high school will be free all day! woo hoo, woof, woof. Liam and friend Wrigley Wilbur, son of two SSA alumni, often meet to sniff and smell.

WRIGLEY AND LIAM

Spring Break also means meeting more kids on our walk and more praise about what a cute puppy Liam is, yes being short has its perks. Kids love puppies.

Liam is having spring break. pic up top shows his first time sitting out in 2014. We only have a month and a half before the eating biting bugs arrive.

Not sure if we are going to fight the bite this year and sit out. So savoring spring break is now!

Spring break is on!
Go Liam!!!!
if viewing from a PC you may have to click on the half circle on bottom left to get back to the beginning. Enjoy Liam's jingles and the wind rumbles...outdoor sounds

and then we are out!

AND NOW WHAT?

Well that was answered early Wednesday morning with a 50 degree one day temp drop. Snow preceded by sleet preceded by rain made for a hard crusty topping...see front yard and car... No sitting out. Spring break is broken. Snow melts quickly but cold keeps us in. 

APRIL SNOW FRONT LAWN

AND SNOW COVERED CAR

See you in two weeks...LiamLicks is going on Spring Break...weather is no concern...time to catch up on your Licks, especially the last one entitled Anxiety, Ageless...a new update has been added!!!

Woof, Woof

Anxiety, Ageless

LIAM ANXIOUS ABOUT DINNER

I am reading Scott Stossel's My Age of Anxiety. It is mine also. at all my ages and currently... and his smaller fonted words following, fear, dread and the search for peace of mind expand and promise a revealing story. When I came upon the review of the book, I knew I would have to read it. Here is the link. Worth reading the review because his book is a unique personal journey and one that is ongoing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/books/review/my-age-of-anxiety-by-scott-stossel.html?_r=0

Finally a book that gets me! And many friends agree. It is gets them also. An exploration of the author's anxious life...a history of the study of anxiety as he tries to understand his own. It is science, memoir, history, biography, with doctors, analysts, writers, philosophers...over hundreds of years. Famous surprising sufferers. I am sharing my thoughts on our anxiety with my dear friend in Georgia. Anxiety through FaceTime. Thanks Steve Jobs and Apple.

LIAM ANXIOUS ABOUT HIS WALK

I borrowed the anxiety book from my library, renewed it once, had 50 pages to go, when I had to return it April 4th...no chance for anxiety to seep in though as it came up ready for ebook borrowing April 5th and now I have it installed on my two kindles iPad and iPhone.

LIAM ANXIOUS ABOUT LATTE LICKS

Anxiety caused by

Nature, environment, illness, biology, mother, culture, nationality, modern life, religion...is it?

Not so much written of it in the Middle Ages though they did have plague which would have been major distraction

Anxiety is helped by
drugs, therapy, wine, surgery, diet, rest, work, social media, poverty, wealth..is it? 

This book is not self help. Yet it did help.

I feel better reading it...I like this quote (not from the book) and am not sure whose it is "I approach each day with a mixture of terror and delight" I can sometimes feel both ways within minutes. What a way to live! There is a plus to the anxious life. No external crisis or catastrophe makes me more anxious. This terrible winter had no effect. A blizzard. Cold. Another blizzard. I always feel  dread now everyone else was feeling it. Snow is real, I can see it. Bring it on. Generalized anxiety, fear of loss, and bad dreams...those are different. I cannot shovel them away.
Give me a raw rainy grey day over a balmy warm bright one. No expectations for the first. The second, nothing I can do will ever make me worthy of living it. And in reading My Age of Anxiety I understand more about the why of it.

Thanks Scott Stossel for being brave and tenacious and coming out to the world as the anxious you.

Some fav quotes from Scott Stossel's Age of Anxiety 

Just because I can explain your depression using terms such as "serotonin reuptake inhibition" doesn't mean you don't have a problem with your mother"
                                ---Carl Elliott, The Last Physician
                               Walter Percy and the Moral Life of Medicine (1999)

 for that which is but a flea-biting to one, causeth insufferable torment to another. 
                               ---Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621)

ANXIOUS LIAM, PARENTS GOING TO CRABTREE'S

Parents leaving? Liam's flea is biting

Woof , Woof

and an update! my Georgia friend retweeted my Tweet and sent it to the page of the author Scott Stossel and he favorited it! so exciting...here it is

Calling for Canine Company

SO OVER TOYS AND LATTE LICKS

The walks are necessary. It is what I owe him. Toys work indoors... latte licks add that extra spark and fuel for a good bark. Barks for passersby are essential to say hi.
The turquoise tornado game is a challenge with its contents of duck, salmon and turkey pellets. Part of his daily food ration. That is pretty quickly accomplished. And then what?

DONE WITH THIS FIND THE FOOD GAME

There comes a day or night when a pack bigger than the human pack of two is needed. And so we go to Best in Show.

LIAM'S  DAY CARE

Two sessions of playgroups....morning and afternoon...like sized dogs together.

Liam runs with the group. I know this because photos online show a fun interactive time. I notice he wears a yellow identification collar for the morning session and none for the afternoon... guess his twin was not present and he could collar be free!

LIAM IN THE MIX

I don't want my boy in the corner. Unless he wants to be.

A CAUTIOUS HELLO AT THE MORNING PLAY GROUP

And then the day is done.

Home again. A rainy weekend...too few doggies out to bark to...even the squirrels are under cover...what now?

RAINY DAYS

Woof, Woof

Our Dream Walk by a Nightmare?

ARE PUPPY PARENTS SUFFERING?

We enjoy our walk down to Chelsea from Penn station. Our destination is Sueños restaurant our go-to place in NYC. It will be our last walk as our dream place is closing.

DREAMS

We are feeling sad and nostalgic as we walk down 8th Avenue. Sueños-translation dreams... and walking down we see so many dreams on display in people, businesses, bikes, apartments, dogs. It is a neighborhood...vibrant diverse, eye popping fashion, unique food offerings, animated conversations and puppies in a window.

Puppies in a window.

On the way we always stop to look at puppies playing in a store window. I never look at the store name.  I always get a nagging feeling about the display...like we are intruding on their infancy...I am part of the oohing and aahing group watching the puppies roll, sleep, eat and hide. Inside, the store is always packed; it is hard to resist the tug to get closer to these tiny creatures.... This day the window has only two little babies sucking from a dispenser. I feel I must give up my place to another puppy lover. Like viewing the Rockefeller Center tree- it is understood one cannot stay too long, others deserve to look.
I turn. Oh my! How did I miss them?  Curbside are protesters. My heart sinks. They are passionate as protesters are. Pushing leaflets. The leaflet info says that this store, the name I see is Citipups, is doing business with puppy mills. I am sure you have heard about those breeders for profit and the conditions in which the dogs live and die...here is the link for more

http://puppymillfreenyc.org/boycott-citipups/

Oh no! The parents of these Chelsea window puppies may be in mills. Places that breed the dogs to exhaustion and illness in crowded dirty cells. Really? Is it possible? I blurt out "my dog is a rescue." The protester softens towards me, I add, "He is from North Shore Animal League." "Oh, great place" she says. Encouraged, I continue, "his name is Liam, he writes a blog"  Seriously, I really added that. I had to engage and somehow wipe away her seeing my window gazing. Paul motions me away. We continue walking to our Sueños place. I am bothered through dinner and after do some googling about the store and its tenacious band of protesters.

ARE THE PUPPIES OKAY?

Here is the link to the store page... Testimonials are posted. Folks are happy with their puppies.
http://citipups.com/Breeds.html

WHISPERING CONCERNS TO LIAM

Should we worry about the Citipups parents?

By buying are people saving the pups? or creating the need for replacements?
What is the definition of a puppy mill?
Are there bad practices with good results?
Are the protesters right?

Citipups says adamantly no, the protesters are wrong and have been harassing their store for several years.

Apparently the protesters are being sued by Ciitpups who alleges they have been unfairly targeted. see link http://www.citipupsisnotapuppymill.com/

Our beloved Sueños is now closed ... no more looking at their crazy kaleidoscope flower filled bathroom window

WINDOW

The Citipup store is open, and we still can look in their window. 

LIAM DREAMING ABOUT PUPS AND PARENTS

Woof, Woof